50m afs NSP funds embezzled in Shah Walikot

KANDAHAR CITY (PAN): The provincial council has teamed up with the administration to recover National Solidarity Programme (NSP) funds worth 50 million afghanis that were embezzled in the Shah Walikot district of southern Kandahar province, the council chief said on Monday.

Haji Syed Jan Khakrezwal told Pajhwok Afghan News the Rural Rehabilitation and Development Department had complained to the council that community council members, who had been given the amount, had failed to execute any project in the district.

The money had been distributed to 26 community councils in Shah Walikot in order to implement projects in line with the needs of local populations, he said.

The council chief said a delegation of council members had held talks with community council leaders in the district and had warned them of legal action if they failed to produce the missing funds.

Khakrezwal said more than a dozen community council members had returned the money under pressure and the remaining 13 members were given a month time to do so.

He said another delegation comprising officials of different government departments and public representatives would be dispatched the district in near future to examine development process there.

The public representative said the issue of corruption was not confined only to the Shah Waliot district, but similar allegations had been raised in Shorawak, Maroof, Arghistan and Registan districts.

The governor’s spokesman, Javed Faisal, said it appeared community councils had failed to utilise the funds for development projects.

He said the issue was being investigated by an official delegation and the findings would be revealed to the media once the probe was completed.